160 ancient tombs discovered in Central China

Archaeologists in Central China's Henan province have discovered 160 ancient tombs.

The tombs are believed to have been built during the Han Dynasty (202 BC-220 AD). More than 1,000 cultural relics were unearthed from the tombs, including bronzeware, ironware and pottery. Many ancient coins were also discovered.

Despite the abundance of discoveries, archaeologists said that the tombs belonged to civilians rather than royal families.

"Not far from the tombs is an ancient town, which may prove that the people buried here were residents of the town," said Gao Zanling with the city cultural relic institute of Zhengzhou, the provincial capital.

Gu Wanfa, head of the institute, said that the excavation helped enrich the research resources about Zhengzhou, as limited relics of the Han Dynasty were found there in the past.